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[Miggy]

Seriously, I've never heard of H2O2 as being a very useful solvent. I swear you're thinking of some other substance.

Hydrogen Peroxide is a great solvent because it can act as both a powerful oxidizing and weak reduction agent. It naturally dissociates, but if it can take another substance with it, it'll gladly do that. It doesn't dissolve substances in the same way water does, it tears apart the substance, then the torn apart substance is dissolved. It works like Nitric acid, except it can also act as a reducing agent.

Because of this it is also extremely toxic to just about anything in humans. I thought the H2O2 mouthwash was a joke until people started talking about 3% concentrations.

[ChairmanPoo]

I agree with G-Flex. Low concentrations of oxygenated water shouldn't be bad for your teeth. It ought to neutralize acidicic pHs (thus decreasing calcium solubility) (edit: HAHAHA, disregard that), and kill the bacteria causing them. I'd still advise not to overdo it,  but because of concerns for the soft tissues in the mouth, rather than the teeth themselves.

[G-Flex]

I agree with G-Flex. Low concentrations of oxygenated water shouldn't be bad for your teeth.

Hydrogen Peroxide is not "oxygenated water". Oxygenated water is water with O2 dissolved in it. H2O2 is not water at all.

It ought to neutralize acidicic pHs (thus decreasing calcium solubility) in the mouth, and kill the bacteria causing them.

You sure about this? I'm pretty sure H2O2 is neutral in itself. However, some bleaching solutions in general are acidic.

Hydrogen Peroxide is a great solvent because it can act as both a powerful oxidizing and weak reduction agent. It naturally dissociates, but if it can take another substance with it, it'll gladly do that. It doesn't dissolve substances in the same way water does, it tears apart the substance, then the torn apart substance is dissolved. It works like Nitric acid, except it can also act as a reducing agent.

Well, I know it's an oxidizing agent, but I don't consider it to be a "solvent" in the normal sense if it's actually initiating a chemical change (aside from disassociating ions and that sort of thing) in the substance it's dissolving.

[ChairmanPoo]

I agree with G-Flex. Low concentrations of oxygenated water shouldn't be bad for your teeth.

Hydrogen Peroxide is not "oxygenated water". Oxygenated water is water with O2 dissolved in it. H2O2 is not water at all.

Oxygenated water is a common term for hydrogen peroxide, particularily when dilluted

It ought to neutralize acidicic pHs (thus decreasing calcium solubility) in the mouth, and kill the bacteria causing them.

You sure about this? I'm pretty sure H2O2 is neutral in itself. However, some bleaching solutions in

general are acidic.

I'm pretty sure it's acts as a base

[G-Flex]

Oxygenated water is a common term for hydrogen peroxide, particularily when dilluted

I've never heard this before, and that's a rather strange and misleading term for it. If people call it that, though, then that's not exactly my decision.

Yes, I'm sure. Hydrogen peroxide is quite basic

I don't see how that's even possible, given what I know of acid/base chemistry and what H2O2 is. If anything, I'd think it should be slightly acidic.

From what little I can find on the subject, it seems that the pH varies depending on concentration, and is generally somewhat acidic. All references to "alkaline hydrogen peroxide" I can really find seem to suggest that it refers to an alkaline solution containing it (for instance, a solution also containing NaOH).

[Miggy]

I would think hydrogen peroxide is perfectly neutral in itself. When it dissociates it turns into water and oxygen (2 H_2O_2 => 2H_2O + O_2). Might be why people refer to it as oxygenated water? I'll admit I've never heard the term myself, but I'm not natively english either.

It should be noted though that it acts as a base when oxidizing, and as an acid when reducing, so that might be where the variety in pH comes from. It depends on what you mix it with.

[ChairmanPoo]

I stand corrected. A search for "Hydrogen peroxide's pH"  reports it being weakly acidicic.

[G-Flex]

It certainly does have odd properties, and the acidic properties of it do seem fairly variable (even water is a little odd in that respect), and it does seem to act differently on things when it's in an acidic vs. an alkaline solution.

[Farseer]

I suggest a hot drink (heats up your throat and should expand it's size a bit, it also seems to work well with dealing with mucus).

My drink of choice whilst sick is hot chocolate.

Or are we discussing hydrogen peroxide, now? Use that if you want to bleach your hair!

[nenjin]

Re: H202

Don't. Just.....don't. I grew up with two scientists, one a chemist, so I've been fed some pretty non-standard stuff in my time. H202 is not safe, even if it doesn't do a lot of damage in low concentrations. Anything you pour on an open wound that actually cooks the flesh is not something you want to put in your mouth.

I swear, when did chemicals become a substitute for doing something the normal way regularly?

"I hate brushing my teeth, but a 2% concentration of sulfuric acid does the trick!"

[ChairmanPoo]

I was wrong about H2O2 pH, but I stand by my original comment as to its safety. It is routinedly used as a an antiseptic and hemostatic agent, and yes, as mouth rinse. Just avoid abusing it.

[Miggy]

I swear, when did chemicals become a substitute for doing something the normal way regularly?

"I hate brushing my teeth, but a 2% concentration of sulfuric acid does the trick!"

You do realize that chemicals are abundant in toothpaste, right?

And yeah, sorry for driving this thread insane off-topic, but it's not every day I can actually use my on-going chemistry education to do anything outside of the education itself. :>

[The Merchant Of Menace]

Well, can we agree that it's at the very least, not tasty?

[ChairmanPoo]

And yeah, sorry for driving this thread insane off-topic, but it's not every day I can actually use my on-going chemistry education to do anything outside of the education itself. :>

I actually think it's a good thing to engage in this kind of thing, for everyone involved. For the one doing the exposition, by reviewing the stuff he gets to know it better, and potentially notice weak points he has to improve. And the ones receiving it get a free lesson on the matter. I think it's win-win

[nenjin]

I swear, when did chemicals become a substitute for doing something the normal way regularly?

"I hate brushing my teeth, but a 2% concentration of sulfuric acid does the trick!"

You do realize that chemicals are abundant in toothpaste, right?

Of course. But not the "kind my chemistry teacher keeps in a clear glass jar" kind of chemicals. I see it along the same lines as "Why buy matches, just use flint over some magnesium, same diff!"